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The Home Secretary condemned encryption systems that allow people to hide from the security services as she insisted internet and technology firms must do more to help the fight against extremism.

In March this year, Home Secretary Amber Rudd demanded access to WhatsApp messages, warning it is 'completely unacceptable' that bloodthirsty terrorists like Khalid Masood are able to plot in secret

Khalid Masood used a hired car to mow down dozens of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before entering the grounds of Parliament and stabbing Pc Keith Palmer to death. MailOnline has revealed he was on WhatsApp minutes before the attack started

Asked about the ability of terrorists to communicate secretly using the technology, Ms Rudd told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: 'It is completely unacceptable, there should be no place for terrorists to hide.

'We need to make sure that organisations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other.

'It used to be that people would steam-open envelopes or just listen in on phones when they wanted to find out what people were doing, legally, through warrantry.

'But on this situation we need to make sure that our intelligence services have the ability to get into situations like encrypted WhatsApp.'